What if Elysia had been with Ed when Archer attacked him?
"Big brother Ed, I'm hungry." The whine from Elysia brought Ed's attention away from the box he was sorting out and to the young girl who had begged her father, uncle, and big brother to let her go onto the base with them that morning. He and Ayala hadn't been at all surprised when first Hughes then Mustang had caved quickly to the pleading eyes of Elysia, meaning Ed's consent soon followed since it wouldn't have mattered if Ed hadn't wanted Elysia on the base (not that he didn't want her on base) but what had surprised Ed was the fact that Elysia asked to stay with Ed in Mustang's outer office instead of going with her father and Leo to his office.
The time seemed to pass rather quickly for Ed. Mustang stuck his head out of his office door a couple of times to see if anyone was doing a coffee run and stuck his head back in after a warning glare from Hawkeye. Ed heard Nala chuckle both times and assumed Mustang was complaining about the unfairness of his situation, even though he had no one to blame but himself. The bad feeling Ed and Ayala had been sensing that morning hadn't disappeared, only grown steadily stronger but they didn't think much of it. After all, what could happen to them while they were inside Mustang's office with the majority of his team keeping them company?
Ed glanced at his pocket watch and noted with surprise that it had been nearly four hours since they'd left the Hughes' that morning. "Yeah, getting lunch sound like a good idea, El," Ed said, stepping away from the box he'd half-sorted through. Elysia got up from the ground where she'd been playing with Ayala and the team's Animals – Soren and Nala the only exceptions – and joined him as he headed for the door where Ayala was now waiting for them. "How do I get to the mess from here?" he asked, turning back to the team.
"Head right and keep going until you get to the end of the building then turn left. Halfway down, turn right again and then turn left three corridors down. The mess hall will be almost all the way down the end of that corridor on your left, chief. Stick to the sandwiches if you don't want to be sick for days on end," Havoc warned. "Did you want me to come with you?" he asked, eyes lighting up with hope and an enthusiasm that Ed really didn't think was appropriate for the task he was offering to help with.
"I'm sure Edward will be able to find the mess hall without an escort, Lieutenant Havoc," Hawkeye said, brows raised in a knowing and pointed manner.
"I wanted to grab something for myself, Lieutenant," Havoc said, tone just edging into whining territory.
"You and Warrant Officer Falman grabbed yourselves lunch an hour ago," Hawkeye reminded him flatly.
"Sorry, Havoc. You heard the boss," Ed said as he shrugged his red jacket on and grabbed Elysia's hand. Havoc's pout had him snorting in amusement but did nothing to have Ed try and convince Hawkeye to let Havoc come with them. "Do you want anything, Miss Riza?" he asked, turning back slightly to look at the woman.
"Thank you, Edward, but I'm okay. I'll grab myself something later," she assured him with a smile.
Ed gave a nod of acknowledgment before he led Elysia out of the room and shut the door behind them while Ayala waited somewhat impatiently for them just up ahead. The wolf was practically vibrating with the need to actually go out and run around in the time they had before they went back. Once Ed was a few metres away from the doorway, Ayala took off, leaving Ed to blink at the spot she'd just been occupying before he heard her through their bond, "come on, slow poke! Don't tell me you're out of shape after only a month?"
He grinned at her taunt before he glanced down at Elysia, who was watching Ayala with a mixture of confusion and delight. "She wants to race us," Ed told the little girl, whose confusion was immediately overtaken by excitement. "Ready to beat her?" he asked, squeezing the hand of Elysia's he was holding.
"Yes!" the little girl cried competitively, taking off after Ayala before Ed could do anything and using his hold on her hand to drag him along.
Ed could hear both Elysia's and Ayala's laughter as they raced after his wolf in a slightly unfair game of tag considering he was going at the pace Elysia was managing while Ayala not only had a head start but wasn't hindered by a five-year-old. Ayala took pity on him by only letting herself have a slight lead in the race. When Elysia noticed they were close to the wolf, she let out an excited squeal and found some more speed from somewhere, causing Ed to have to speed up himself so he wasn't the one hindering their progress. Ayala didn't let them get too close to her though and Ed could feel her happiness at just being able to play. The three of them did end up getting lost when one of them took a wrong turn a couple of times, making them have to slow down so they could double back to get back on the right track.
They were having as much fun as they possibly could on the base when something grabbed Ed by his flesh arm before Ayala could warn him. Ed barely had the time to let go of Elysia's hand when he felt the grip on his arm before someone swung him into an alleyway between two of the buildings on base. His eyes flew open in pain and surprise as his back slammed up against the brick wall, forcing a yelp out of him as his lungs emptied of air. The next things he registered was a golden blur launching past his face, crashing into whoever had thrown Ed into the wall and the shout of his name from a terrified Elysia. The only thing he could say for certain about the person was that they were definitely wearing a military uniform. Ed felt the pressure he hadn't noticed on his throat disappear as the offender was unceremoniously introduced to the ground.
Ayala rolled as she landed but was immediately back in front of Ed, growling at the man who was picking himself back up. Ed himself had recovered fairly quickly from his attack and was quick to move back towards Elysia, getting in a protective stance in front of her while closely watching the military officer right himself. Elysia latched onto his flesh hand with a grip that was almost painful as she hid behind Ed, watching the man who'd attacked her big brother fearfully. Ayala was the first to recognise their attacker and her growling turned into full-on feral snarling as the man straightened to his full height and turned to face his would-be victim and thoroughly pissed off Animal. Ed's golden eyes flicked up as he noticed a large, black shape circling above the alleyway.
"It's good to see you again, Major Elric." Ed's eyes snapped back down to the person in front of him and Ayala. His head still throbbed from where it connected with the brick wall and he was certain he could already feel the tell-tale warm trickle of blood making its way down the back of his head. The man's eyes flicked to the hidden form of Elysia and his lip lifted in a curl of contempt and disgust. "I didn't realise you'd have a child with you but never mind," the man said, eyes rising to meet Ed's and that when Ed finally managed to place who his attacker was. It had been so long since he'd last seen the man that he hadn't recognised him right away. It probably also had something to do with the fact that Ed had truthfully been trying to forget they'd even met.
"Wish I could say the same, Lieutenant-Colonel Archer," Ed growled out as he pushed Elysia backwards a little, trying to get them out of the alley Archer had pulled Ed into. Ayala's hackles rose as Archer took a step closer towards Ed, causing the lieutenant-colonel to pause in his approach and watch the wolf for a moment before he stopped coming closer, heeding the threat promised by Ayala's teeth. "What do you want, Archer?"
Archer studied him for a moment. "Isn't it obvious?" he asked, tilting his head like he couldn't believe Ed hadn't figured this out yet.
"Humour me," Ed snapped, not really in the mood for this kinda crap. All he wanted to do right now was get Elysia out of here.
Archer gave him what Ed thought was supposed to be a winning smile but all it did was make him look even more like a creep than he already did. "I'd like to offer you the opportunity to work under me." Uh, what the fuck? Ed's jaw dropped and Ayala's snarl decreased slightly in shock but didn't let up completely. Was this guy serious?
"Excuse me?" Ed managed to stutter out in disbelief. Even Elysia seemed as confused as he and Ayala were.
Archer splayed his arms out like he was extending an invitation. "I'd like to offer you a spot on my team," he repeated. "I've heard how Mustang treats you worse than his other subordinates. You're an amazing asset to the military and the fact that you haven't been promoted in the two years you've been enlisted isn't your fault, it's Mustang's. I can offer you a much more respectable position, more money, promotions and less dangerous missions. I'm sure your brother, not to mention your wolf here, would appreciate you not getting injured so much. Really, it's irresponsible of Mustang to send a person as young as yourself on missions as dangerous as the ones you've been on," Archer simpered and Ed wanted to throw up at the sound.
Though Ed wasn't one to back away from a fight, he had a nasty feeling about this fight. A check with Ayala solidified that feeling and the fact that Elysia was with them had the pair continuing to move slowly backwards, trying to get Elysia out of danger while protecting her if Archer decided to attack right now. Ayala got the sense that Archer was dangerous at the best of times but right now it seemed like the man was edging into unstable territory and Ayala didn't want Ed or Elysia facing that.
"Are you legitimately insane? Why the ever-living fuck would I join you?" Ed asked, honestly astounded that that had been what came out Archer's mouth. "Mustang may be an arsehole but he's never laid a hand on me. Did you really think I'd accept that offer after you slammed me into a wall?" Archer's eye was starting to twitch in annoyance but his face kept that grin in place as Ed kept talking. "As for your offers: I don't give two fucks about promotions, I'm earning more money now than I know what to do with, the missions I go on are my choice and I have more respect in my pinkie right now than I'd ever get working under you. Even if you hadn't attacked me, my answer would still be no," Ed told him shortly and Ed could see the smile slip from Archer's face as his features screwed into something ugly. Ayala and Ed pushed Elysia back a little more and Archer's vulture swooped into land on a nearby dumpster behind them, effectively blocking them in.
"My uncle isn't mean to my big brother," Elysia said, her voice trembling as she faced Archer, still half-hidden by Ed. "You're just a big bully! My brother would never work for someone as mean as you!" she told him, scared eyes glaring at the soldier in front of them.
Archer looked like he was struggling to school his facial expressions into something less deranged as he ignored Elysia's words and focused on his main target. "I'll only ask one more time before this becomes... less pleasant." Archer's voice had certainly lost any lingering tones of pleasantness.
Ed weighed up his choices. His immediate desire was to snark at Archer, something that would likely cause the lieutenant-colonel to lose the last of his cool but the thing that held him back was the little girl clinging to his hand. He couldn't put her in danger so he swallowed the flat out "no" he'd been planning to throw in Archer's face. "I don't care what you try and say to convince me to move under your command, Archer. I'm not leaving the team I'm on and it doesn't matter what you try and offer me," Ed told him. Ayala had turned so that she could keep an eye on the vulture while Ed faced Archer and stayed in front of Elysia. "Now, I'm willing to let the fact that you assaulted me go if you accept my answer with the grace expected from a lieutenant-colonel of this military and allow us to leave," Ed said. He was sure his grip on Elysia was hurting her hand a little bit but the little girl wasn't making a sound as she stayed huddled behind Ed.
Ed could tell from the snarl on Archer's face that the lieutenant-colonel wasn't going to be letting them leave this alley with Ed not under his command. "Then I'll just have to make you see that moving under my command would be in the best interest of you and that kid with you. Trust me," the tone of his voice had Ed doing anything but, "I can be very persuasive." Archer stalked towards them, expression determined and ready for a fight.
Ed let go of Elysia's hand so he could clap and create his automail blade while Ayala shifted so she was a couple of feet away from Ed and out of his way so she could take on Archer's Animal, Drew. Elysia whimpered as she realised the situation had taken a turn for the worse and Ed felt himself contemplate his choices for how he could best keep Elysia safe. Trusting Ayala to let him know if Archer was going to attack him as he glanced around the alley, Ed looked over shoulder and found that Drew was raising his wings as he readied himself to take off.
Ed's mind worked through his options in moments as he and Ayala took up their typical fighting stances, waiting for Archer and his Animal to make the first moves. While they did, Ed was giving telepathic instructions to Ayala. "I need you to get that Animal away from the dumpster as soon as you can," he told her. Once he felt the agreement, Ed grabbed Elysia's arm and squeezed, making sure she was listening to him. "When I tell you to go, I need you to run and hide yourself behind the dumpster, okay?" he whispered to her.
"Okay, big brother," Elysia whispered back. Ed could feel her grip his jackets tightly but he kept his eyes firmly fixed on Archer as the man continued his approach.
After sending a quick message to Leo and Nala instructing them to get their humans and track him now, Ed shifted out of Elysia's reach while making sure he stayed in front of her. "Bring it on," Ed snarled at Archer while Ayala growled at her own opponent. As they faced down Archer and Drew they only had one goal in mind: keep Elysia safe.
Ed didn't bother responding to Leo or Nala when they both confirmed that their humans were on their way to his position as he dodged Archer's first attack. He had no clue where Archer pulled the knife from or why he was bothering with a bladed weapon when he had his military-issued pistol there on his hip but Ed decided he'd question that later. He knew he couldn't rely on Ayala's help right now since she was busy trying to get Drew away from the dumpster so Elysia could hide until Mustang or Hughes appeared. He managed to glance over his shoulder to check on Elysia – who was standing with her back against the wall and watching him with tears streaming down her face – and saw that Ayala was being forced out of the alley by Drew's massive talons and deadly beak.
"Elysia, now!" Ed called, slashing at Archer's chest and growling when the man dodged the blow. He heard small feet shuffling and just hoped Elysia was doing as he'd asked her to do.
To Ed's dismay, Archer was proving to be well trained with a knife and Ed was certainly hard-pressed defending himself against Archer's attacks. Ayala was finding herself on the defensive as much as Ed was and both of them knew they needed to get onto the offensive as quickly as possible. While Ayala was in full health, Ed was still healing from his fight with Palm Tree and he now had a new head injury to add on top of his healing injuries. The fact that Elysia was there only added to their desire to win this fight as soon as they could.
For a moment it seemed as though the tide was turning in their favour. Ayala had managed to pin Drew onto his back by standing on his wings. She was obviously causing the massive scavenging bird no small amount of pain considering Archer was making pained winces and his arms were twitching slightly. Ed took full advantage of the sympathy pain Archer was in and launched a new attack of his own, fully intending to bury his blade into the man's right shoulder so he'd be forced to either drop the blade or use his non-dominate hand to wield it.
Unfortunately for them, their moment to turn this fight to their advantage was stolen from them when Drew managed to dig his talons into Ayala's chest before she could get her teeth around his neck. The large, sharp talons tore through the fur, skin, and meat of Ayala's chest, causing Ayala to scream in pain and Elysia to shriek in fear at the sight of one of her friend's being hurt. Ayala managed to scrabble away from Drew but the damage had been done and she heaved in pain as she watched the vulture warily.
"Elysia, don't watch!" Ed ordered just as the sympathy pain from Ayala hit him in full force, causing him to miss Archer's shoulder. He barely managed to raise his automail arm in time to block the retaliatory swipe Archer took at him. Archer's blade glanced off Ed's bare automail arm, Ed having shed his jackets earlier in the fight when they'd started becoming a hindrance. "How bad?" Ed asked Ayala as he was forced to continually defend himself. He glanced around quickly, trying to find Ayala so he could see her for himself but he couldn't find her. He managed to spot Elysia huddled as far behind the dumpster as she could manage, her fingers pressed over her eyes as she sobbed quietly.
Ed's attention was grabbed by Archer once more and he focused back on the fight, slashing out once more with his blade and following it quickly with a left hook, both of which Archer dodged with a snarl. Ed loathed how Archer and his Animal had obviously succeeded in separating him and Ayala so they wouldn't be able to get to each other's aide as quickly as they could've if they were both still in the alleyway. What he really hated was that it meant that if Ed was taken down, it would leave Elysia exposed to Archer without Ayala there to act as her protector in Ed's place.
"It hurts like you wouldn't believe but I'll be alright for a while. We need to wrap this up quickly though," Ayala told him and Ed had to agree.
So far, Ed had been lucky in that he'd only suffered minor cuts and bruises, the head wound not included. Archer was certainly enough of a match for him while he was hindered by his injuries from the Fifth Laboratory collapsing and the preceding fights and if it hadn't been for Ayala's injury and the fact that Elysia was with them, Ed might've been willing to draw the fight out just so he could beat Archer's arse thoroughly. However, the injury Ayala had suffered was large and painful and Ed wasn't willing to let her go without medical treatment for longer than necessary and he certainly wasn't going to let Elysia be exposed to the fight longer than she had to be.
With that decision made, Ed shoved Archer backwards by kicking him in the gut, forcing the man to stumble away from him and lean over as he tried to draw in a breath. With Archer winded and unable to fight for a few moments, Ed called, "Ayala, sight!" He felt her comply and suddenly his vision was filled with an angry vulture who was shaking its head with sympathy pain. "Pin him just like you had him before!" Ed called, aware that Archer would be recovered any second now. Ayala knew what he wanted to do and knew that time was of the essence. Ed felt his stomach roll a little as his vision showed him running forward but his body didn't physically move.
It only took Ayala moments to have the vulture pinned how she had him before, except for the fact that Drew was on his stomach rather than his back to ensure he couldn't injure her again like before. Ed would've felt sympathy for the pain the bird's wings must've been in if it weren't for the fact that the only reason he was pinned like this was because he decided to follow along with his human's plans for Ed and Ayala. As soon as Ayala had a good grip on Drew, Ed dropped to one knee, placing his left hand on the ground in front of him just as Ayala moved one paw off of one of Drew's wings. The moment both his hand and her paw touched the ground, Ed let the alchemic energy he'd built up race towards Ayala and Drew. He watched through her eyes as the ground next Ayala's paw rose at his command and wrapped itself around Drew's neck, securing him in place.
"End sight!" Ed called and his vision was snapped back to his body in time for the kick Archer had aimed at him to connect and send him sprawling back. His back slammed to the ground and he saw stars when his newest head injury was aggravated.
"Big brother Ed!" Elysia screamed and Ed forced himself to get to his feet, planting himself in front of Elysia, who he had landed near when Archer had kicked him back.
"I'm okay," Ed told her, doing his best to not sound winded from the blow. He was starting to wonder where the hell Mustang, Nala, Leo, and Hughes were though.
"How dare you?!" Archer screeched, spit flying as he stormed towards Ed, causing Ed's thoughts to move from the whereabouts of his back-up to wondering what the hell Archer was planning now. Ayala rounded the corner and got to her human's side before Archer could get closer than five feet to Ed and Elysia. Archer's face was purple with rage and Ed felt a thrill of fear run through him at the sight. He now wouldn't put it past Archer to do something to Elysia to get Ed under his control. "You'll pay for what you did to Drew!" Archer snarled, his eyes flicking to Elysia, who Ed and Ayala were allowing themselves to be backed into a corner to protect.
Ed was about to give a snarky reply when he felt a faint pain on his hip and he gasped incredulously. This could not be happening right now. There was no way his luck was that bad that he and Ayala and Chester and Al were currently fighting an enemy at the same time while hours apart. "Please tell me Teacher is the one kicking your arse," Ed shamelessly begged Chester as he and Ayala launched themselves at Archer, prepared to fight to their last breath to keep Elysia from being harmed. Trapping Drew like they had had apparently been the fuel Archer needed to find his second wind because he was showing no sign that he and Ed had been fighting each other in the last few minutes.
"Sorry, Ed." Chester's voice echoed in his head and Edward groaned. "There's a homunculous in Dublith and he's a little too interested in Al. Specifically, how he bound his soul to the armour," Chester told him quickly and Ed's breathing hitched slightly.
Archer came at him and Ed lost the last of his cool. His brother now needed his help and his adopted sister didn't need to be traumatised any further than she had been and Archer was making it so Ed couldn't aide Al or protect Elysia from witnessing more fighting. So, Ed struck out with his left fist and caught Archer in the throat. After all, he didn't want the man dead – despite his actions against Ed today –, he just wanted the fighting to stop so he could reassure Elysia and focus on Alphonse and Chester. The effect of the punch was immediate. Ed watched as Archer's eyes bulged as he gripped his throat, suddenly unable to draw in much more than a wheezing, spluttering breath.
Ed rolled his eyes as Archer collapsed to his knees, his fingers clawing at his own throat. "Oh, please. I didn't hit you that hard. You'll start breathing again soon," Ed snapped impatiently as he clapped his hands and trapped Archer in much the same way as he had Drew. The only difference was he placed the restraints on Archer's wrists instead of around his neck.
Now that his first distraction was dealt with, he turned his attention to Elysia, who was still weeping quietly where she wedged against the dumpster and wall. "Elysia, it's all okay now. He can't escape the restraints I put on him and his Animal is just as trapped as he is, okay?" Ed assured her, kneeling down in front of her and placing his hands on the side of her face. "Ayala is going to stay right here with you but I need to talk to Alphonse and Chester. I won't be long, okay?" he said, giving her a smile.
Elysia sniffled, wiping her face furiously of the tears that still fell as she nodded. "Okay, big brother," she hiccupped.
"Okay," Ed echoed, giving her another smile before he kissed the top of her head. "I won't be long," he swore again before he nodded to Ayala and got to his feet. "Chester, sight!" Like Ayala, Chester complied and Ed found himself looking at three people and Alphonse as Chester did a quick look around the room for Ed's benefit. They seemed to be in a basement or something similar and Al was just sitting up against the wall behind Chester.
Sensing his question, Chester answered before he even asked. "The homunculous," Chester and Ed's vision focused on one of the spiky haired, beak nosed man and Ed assumed this one was the homunculous, "had one of his minions climb inside Al and control his movements." Ed balled his fists in anger. What he wouldn't give to be in that room with his brother and Chester.
"How?" he ground out and Ayala looked at him in concern. He sensed the concern and made a reassuring gesture in her general direction, hoping Elysia would also see it and wouldn't start worrying again.
Chester was still standing guard, preventing the two men and homunculous from getting near Alphonse. "I don't know for sure but I think these humans are chimeras. They remind me of Nina," Chester told him and Ed couldn't stop the pang of guilt. "I'm fairly sure these ones are combined with their Animals, though. The one inside of Al has been transmuted with a snake. I think these two have been combined with a cow or ox and a dog." Ed felt bile crawl up his throat and he was glad Ayala couldn't hear this conversation.
"Okay." Ed took a deep breath. He needed to get his brother out of this before the situation changed from a stand off to a full-on fight. So far, none of them seemed to have noticed Chester was visually linked with someone. "We need to start by getting that person out of Al. Do you think you could get Al's chest plate off and bite the person without killing them or getting blood on Al's seal?"
"I think so. I won't be able to get that chest plate off without damaging it," Chester told him but Ed shook his head.
"Don't worry about that. Al can mend it with alchemy later," Ed said. "Just get it off and disable that person before the others have a chance to attack. Al can get them out of his armour and join the fight," Ed told him. "There are straps that connect the plate to the rest of the armour. Get through them and you should be able to pull it off." Chester nodded and stunned the people in the room by going for his human.
Al gave a surprised yelp since Chester hadn't told him the plan. He'd scratched through the leather strips like they were butter and got the chest plate off before anyone could react. Ed saw the woman's slack-jawed expression just before Chester's jaws closed around her throat, carefully aimed to miss the major arteries and trachea so she wouldn't bleed out or suffocate. Her natural instinct to grab her throat to try and stop the blood gushing from the wound gave Al the chance to take back control of his limbs.
The bigger of the chimeras roared in rage and kicked Chester in the gut, literally sending the big cat flying and slamming into the wall. Ed's entire torso groaned with agony and his breath came in pained huffs for a few moments as Chester picked himself up. Al was able to get the injured woman out of his armour and get himself up in time to engage the chimera who attacked Chester. Ed felt every single ache Chester did as the leopard shook himself off and moved to help his human.
Since their vision was still linked, Ed was able to help Chester with the fight by giving the leopard warnings and ideas, which he found irritating until Ed saved him from a blow that surely would've resulted in a broken bone. Though he hadn't told him, Chester knew that Ed was aware of the fact that something had happened to him when he was kicked into the wall. He didn't feel right but he refused to stop fighting. Ed wasn't stupid enough to ask him to, he just resigned himself to the fact that he'd have to distance heal the leopard.
Alphonse was fighting the homunculous, who was somehow covering his skin with some sort shield since Al's blows weren't resulting in any injuries, while Chester was doing his best fighting the two chimeras. The third one, the woman, was being tended to by a newcomer, a small man who looked vaguely like a lizard and Ed shuddered as he remembered what Chester had said about how they were created. That was something he was not going to think about right now. Chester's movements were getting sluggish and Al was finally noticing something wasn't right. A loud noise sounded and Chester wasn't the only one who paused in their fight to see who the newcomer was. Ed had to actually remind himself that he wasn't physically there as Izumi and Koda strode into the room.
"Sorry to barge in like this." Izumi dipped her head towards the homunculous before turning to Al and Chester. "DO YOU TWO THINK IT'S FUNNY TO LEAVE THE BROOM OUT?! I ASKED YOU A QUESTION!" Al and Chester both jumped and hung their heads.
"We're sorry!" Al cried. Ed startled as Chester's vision suddenly blurred and he cried out in pain alongside the leopard as he collapsed, causing both Ayala and Elysia to cry out his name, concern drenching both their voices.
"Alphonse, get Chester out of here. I'll deal with this," Izumi ordered, a rare show of concern that Al didn't bother questioning. He scooped Chester up, causing the leopard and Ed to groan in pain and headed for the same door Izumi had gone through.
"Teacher, he's a homunculous," Alphonse warned and Izumi shot him a glare.
"You think I don't know that?!" she thundered and Al squeaked out an apology before he disappeared with Chester.
"End sight," Ed said and Chester willingly let the connection drop. Ed found himself blinking rapidly as he leant up against the now-familiar alleyway. Ayala and Elysia were still where he's left them and Archer was limp against his restraints, though Ed could see he was breathing.
"Are you okay? Is Chester? Al?" Ayala demanded as she looked him over for a new injury, even though she knew he wasn't actually hurt.
Ed groaned as he realised what he was going to be doing. "I'm fine and so is Alphonse," Ed told her, speaking out loud so Elysia could hear him. "I need to heal Chester though," he said, looking at Elysia. "When I do that, I might fall asleep after I finish. Ayala will stay here and your dad and uncle are on their way. They should be here any second now," Ed told the little girl.
"Is Chester hurt?" Elysia asked and Ed gave her a nod.
"He got into a fight just like me and Ayala did," Ed told her. "Because I have Chester's special energy inside me, it means I have to heal him. I'm going to heal Ayala first since I'll be asleep after I've healed Chester and I want you to make sure Ayala doesn't get herself hurt again while I'm sleeping, alright? It sounds like a really big job but I know you can do it," Ed said, giving her a warm smile.
Elysia sniffled, a serious look on her face as she moved so she was standing next to Ayala. "I'll make sure she's okay, big brother. I promise!" she swore.
"Good," Ed said, smiling up at her before he looked at Ayala. "I should only be out for a few hours. I'll only heal the worst of his injuries. There shouldn't be any more risk to me than me losing consciousness," he told her through their bond before he spoke out loud once more for Elysia's benefit. "You ready?" he asked, not giving Ayala the chance to argue anymore. She growled her unhappiness at the whole plan but nodded anyway. He clapped and dug for her energy. "Heal!" The green glow lit up the alleyway and Ayala squirmed as her chest wounds knitted themselves together. Sensing no other injuries, Ed stopped the healing shortly after it began.
"Are you okay?" Ayala asked before he could start healing Chester. She couldn't help the worry she felt for her human.
"Yup," Ed told her before he looked up at Elysia. "I'm gonna heal Chester now. Remember, keep an eye on Ayala and let your dad know that I'm only sleeping because I had to heal your other big brother's Animal, okay?" he asked her and she gave him a nod.
"Have a good dream, big brother Ed," Elysia said and Ed gave her a thankful smile as he stood up so he was no longer leaning against the wall.
He ruffled Elysia's hair as he said, "thanks, El," before he focused on what he needed to do now. "Chester? I'm gonna heal you now. Tell Al to put you down, okay?" He felt the leopard receive the message and pass it along. He forced himself to wait until Chester told him Al had done as he'd asked and while he waited, he used the chance to build up Chester's energy ready for him to use.
"Al says you better not die healing me or he'll be so mad," Chester told him, a little weaker than Ed was comfortable with but he managed to chuckle.
"Tell him I'll be fine. You ready?" Ed asked as he prepared himself for what he was about to do. Ayala was right to be worried and so were Chester and Alphonse. Healing an Animal long-distance was always risky and that risk only increased with the severity of the Animal's injuries.
"Ready." The moment Chester said the word, Ed started releasing his energy, closing his eyes as he concentrated on directing the energy on what it needed to heal first. He focused on the most worrying injury and fixed where Chester was bleeding internally before he moved to remove the blood that had pooled around his organs. Once it was fully healed, he moved onto the broken ribs and encouraged the bones to knit back together. Once they were done, Ed moved onto the next biggest injury, making sure that he had impeccable control over Chester's energy the whole time. Since he was having to heal from such a great distance and heal an injury that could be massive, he needed to be able to stop the flow the second Chester was no longer in danger of dying so that he didn't exert himself more than necessary.
Ed was so concentrated on his task that he didn't notice when Nala and Leo came flying around the corner with Mustang, Hughes, Havoc, Hawkeye, and Soren in tow. Ayala glanced over at them before her eyes went back to her human so she could soften his fall when he did lose consciousness. She knew Ed would be annoyed and a little embarrassed when he woke up to find out that it wasn't just Elysia and Ayala who'd witnessed him collapsing but she also knew that he wouldn't have changed his mind even if Mustang, Hughes, Havoc, and Hawkeye had been here to witness him discussing what he was about to do either.
"What's going on?" Hughes was the first one to ask and the sound of his voice caused Elysia to turn around to find him.
"Daddy!" Elysia cried, abandoning Ayala so she could run to her father, allowing him to scoop her up in his arms.
"That's Lieutenant-Colonel Archer," Mustang muttered, barely loud enough for Ayala to hear him. "I'm assuming Fullmetal and he got into a fight but what over?" he mused out loud.
Ayala glanced at Mustang and saw him about to approach Ed, likely to demand answers from him but he stopped in his tracks the moment Nala got in his path. At that exact moment, Ayala felt Ed cut off Chester's healing and lose consciousness, falling to the ground like a marionette whose strings had just been cut. Everyone present gasped when Ed fell, the only exception being Ayala, who rushed forward and let Ed crash into her, sending them both to ground without Ed getting injured any further than he already was.
"Ed!" most of the adults called, their voices varying degrees of concern but Havoc was the one who got into action first, heading for Ed and Ayala's sides.
"What happened? Is he okay?" Hughes demanded though Ayala could see that Mustang had been close to being the one to ask the questions first.
"Big brother Ed said that he had to help heal Chester and that he's going to be sleeping because of that," Elysia told her dad, who glanced at her before he looked at Ayala, who nodded while Havoc fussed over her human.
"There's only a small head wound that I can see and it's nowhere near big enough to cause him to lose consciousness. Chester must've been hurt pretty badly for it to knock Ed out like this," Havoc reported, turning to look up at his commanding officer.
Mustang gave a nod just as Ayala noticed Falman arriving with two soldiers she didn't know. "Elysia, what happened before your brother had to help Chester?" Mustang asked, turning to acknowledge the three soldiers with a nod before his focus went back onto his goddaughter.
"That man," Elysia pointed a finger at Archer, a scowl on her face, "hurt big brother Ed then tried to tell him to move so he would be listening to him instead of Uncle Roy," Elysia told them. "Big brother Ed said no but that man wouldn't listen to him. He tried to make big brother Ed agree but he wouldn't then his bird hurt Ayala while he tried to hurt big brother Ed," Elysia reported, "but big brother Ed helped Ayala trap his bird so Ayala could help him with that man," she finished telling them.
Mustang's face had flashed with anger when Elysia had given them Archer's motivation for the attack on Ed but he cleared it before Elysia could see it. "Thank you, Elysia," he said to her, giving her a soft smile he would never give anyone else while on base. "Where were you when your big brother was fighting?" he asked, eyes raking over her form to try and find any injury she'd suffered.
Elysia twisted in her dad's arms so she could point to the corner made by the dumpster and wall she'd been hiding in. "Big brother Ed told me to hide there and then he made sure that man couldn't come near me," Elysia told them. "Ayala and the bird weren't here though. The bird made Ayala leave," she added.
Hughes hugged her tight as Mustang squeezed Elysia's arm. "You did really well listening to your big brother," Mustang praised her.
"Big brother Ed even asked me to make sure Ayala doesn't hurt herself while he was sleeping!" Elysia told him, squirming with happiness at her uncle's compliment.
"I'm sure if anyone could keep her from hurting herself, it would be you," Mustang said. The only sign he gave that he heard Ayala's growl was a slightly fearful side-eye he gave the wolf. Hughes didn't bother hiding his amusement and Havoc seemed like he was hard-pressed trying to keep as straight a face as Hawkeye and Falman were. "How about you go with your dad, Ayala, Leo, and Lieutenant Hawkeye back to my office and wait there? Lieutenant Havoc will bring your big brother to my office as well so he can sleep there," Mustang told her before she could ask.
"Okay," Elysia said before her eyes fell back on Archer. "What's going to happen to him, Uncle Roy?" she asked curiously.
Mustang eyed the unconscious lieutenant-colonel with disgust before he wiped it off his face as he spoke to Elysia. "I'll be taking him and his Animal to a jail cell and someone will talk to him about what he did to your big brother," Mustang told her.
Elysia seemed happy with that answer since she didn't have any more questions for her uncle now. Mustang nodded to Havoc, who moved to pick Ed up while Nala kept a firm eye on Archer. Mustang really hoped Archer would wake up before he had to ask Nala to move so he could see the lioness' murderous expression. Hughes carried Elysia out into the hallway while Havoc picked Ed up bridal-style and followed them, Ayala and Hawkeye – who had Ed's discarded jackets in her arms – on his heels while Soren flew overhead, keeping an eye on everything. Leo had decided to lead the way back to Mustang's office by the looks of it and Mustang watched them until they were all out in the hallway and out of his sight.
The colonel gestured to Falman and the two soldiers with him as he approached Archer. "Let's deal with him now."
The feeling of someone tugging lightly on his tank top had Ed waking up for the second time since his fight with Archer. The first time he'd done so, he'd only had to reassure Elysia he was fine, answer questions for Mustang, Havoc, and Hughes, get told why Archer was so insistent on having him under his command, and check on Chester before he was allowed to go back to sleep. This time, it seemed like there was a purpose to his being woken up and once he opened his eyes and saw how dark it was getting, he was fairly certain he knew why Elysia was waking him up.
"What's up, El?" Ed asked, voice cracking with sleep before he yawned behind his hand.
"Uncle Roy says we need to start heading home 'cuz it's getting dark," Elysia told him.
A glance behind her showed Ed that everyone was gathered at the door as they waited for him to get up. "Probably a good idea if we did get you home at least. Your mum will be starting to get worried," Ed told her.
"Daddy called her and said that we'd be here until dinnertime so she won't be worried," Elysia revealed.
"Well at least your dad was smart enough to think of warning your mum," Ed smirked, eyes flicking up to Hughes in time to witness the betrayed look on his face.
"Yeah, Mummy wouldn't have been happy if Daddy didn't call her," Elysia agreed, oblivious to the fact that Ed was teasing her father. "Are you okay now, big brother?" Elysia asked, eyeing his face and arms as best she could while Ed was tugging on the jackets Hawkeye had left on his couch. Nala and Ayala weren't happy about having to get up but they were waiting intently – as were the rest of the Animals and all of the humans out in the outer office – for his answer.
"Totally fine," Ed told her, ruffling her hair with his left hand while he got his right arm into the sleeves. "Just some bruises and tiny cuts," he promised her, repeating his words of assurance from earlier. So focused was he on Elysia that he didn't notice the relieved looks on Mustang's and everyone else's faces before Mustang, at least, wiped the expressions off.
"We should start heading back home before Gracia does actually start worrying about us," Leo said, speaking to both Ed and Hughes, if the way Hughes jolted said anything.
"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," Ed said as he got to his feet. His head spun a little from the movement but he felt fine otherwise. He nudged Elysia, who was watching him with worry covering her face. "Come on, El. Let's get you home."
A/N - Third last "What if...?" that I have prewritten for you guys! Sorry this one is a couple of days late but I went and got a mild case of food poisoning and it turns out food poisoning really sucks. I'm feeling better today so figure I'd get this up now. I hope you guys enjoy this one and please let me know what you think to it! See you on Sunday!